ST. LOUIS - Traffic continues to flow well around the St. Louis region for the fifth month after the closure of five miles of Interstate 64 from Interstate 270 to Interstate 170 on January 2. Motorist patterns continue to shift back to pre-closure two-hour morning and evening rush periods. However, travel times on roadways, especially arterials, are significantly improved by traveling before or after the traditional "rush period." 

            "By moving their commute from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. drivers can reduce their travel times significantly," said Lesley Hoffarth, MoDOT's I-64 project director.  "Although traffic patterns may be lighter due to the summer travel season, drivers still need to use the interstates where possible, shift their commute times or use their public transportation options."

            Motorists are reminded when they are in a minor incident with no injuries, they are required to move their vehicles off the road to a safe location and then exchange information and call the police.

            Additionally, many of the commuter lots close to the I-270 loop are overflowing. Currently, there is still a good amount of space at the commuter lot at I-44 and Antire. MoDOT is also working to construct a new lot near Eureka, and is evaluating other commuter lots to determine if they can be expanded.

            As part of traffic management, MoDOT also started varying the speed limits along I-270 to help improve traffic flow and safety during the past month. Although the variable speed limits have only been in effect for about two weeks, traffic experts have noticed some improvement in traffic flow during major incidents (such as the May 28 tractor trailer crash on I-270 near Dorsett Road.

Here are the major observations from the month of May:

·        The peak time during the rush continues to be 7-8 a.m. and 5-6 p.m., just like before the closure.  Avoiding these peak morning and evening hours will improve travel times. Volumes on freeways or major arterials have not significantly increased over the past month

·        St. Louis County reports volumes have doubled on sections of Clayton Road and sections of Ladue Road compared to before the closure. 

MoDOT and its transportation partners will continue to monitor the roads on a daily basis and provide updates on the web twice a month including a monthly summary.  For more information on the I-64 project and to stay updated on the construction schedule, visit http://www.thenewi64.org/.